The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold A good introduction to the life and works of Buddha. Original Title: La Vie du Bouddha; According to the Legends of Ancient India; Translated from the French. This book dimensionalizes the story of Siddhartha, born into luxury, who seeks and find enlightenment, the sometimes painful growth of the Buddhist community, and his eventual departure for Nirvana. It is short and very readable, and can be recommended for young adults. According to the legends of ancient India. This Life of Buddha is not a work of fiction. The author consulted many books, both ancient and modern. He mainly relied upon the Lalita-Vistara, a jumbled collection of legends and scholastic dissertations in which many traditions regarding the Buddha's origin, childhood, youth, early education and his first deeds are told. Herold also used such other works as the Buddhacarita, Jatakas, Avadanasataka, Le Bouddha, Histoire du Bouddhisme Dans L'Inde and Journal Asiatique.